Trouble with my computer

P

Panda

New Member
I built my computer last summer and got a 40 GB WD Hard drive for it. After a couple of months, the HD started clicking and freezing the computer and after a while the computer wouldn't even start. I found that I lost the reciept so I bought a new 80 GB WD Hard drive and it worked fine. after about a month or two it started doing the same thing! I am pretty sure that there is something wrong with my computer because two faulty WD hard drives in a row would be a really wierd coincidence. I tried switching the IDE cables around but that didn't work. I put the HD in my brother's computer, then ran a disk check. It was fixed it for a bit and I left it in his computer for a week , but after a week or two in my computer it did the same thing again. Yesterday, it gives me the error: "Windows could not start because the file ntoskrnl.exe is missing or corrupt." I can probably format it and get it to work again for a while but I would like to hear what anyone has to say about it, because, like I said before, I don't think it's the hard drive's problem. Also, today, whenever I start it up, it goes to the windows XP starting page, gives me a blue screen with some writing on it for like .3 of a second (can't read it because it goes by so fast) and then keeps doing the same thing over and over again.

I'm running windows XP PRO
2.0 GHZ AMD athlon XP processor 2400+
256 MB of ram
 
Lorand

Lorand

<b>VIP Member</b>
I had a similar issue... And believe it or not, the problem was a faulty RAM module. So I recommend to check your RAM with memtest.
 
Super_Nova

Super_Nova

New Member
I think the power supply would. A hard drive not getting enough power sounds just like a hard drive with a crashed head. and if you have alot of other things in your computer it could be occuring when another device is drawing more power than usual. How many watts does your power supply produce? Do you have alot of other devices like CD/DVD roms or burners? Powerful Video card?
 
P

Panda

New Member
Alright, I took the HD outta my comp and put it in my brother's. It ran a disk check when booting up and fixed the HD (I think). When I did the same thing before, there were 4 kb of bad sectors; now there are 8 kb of bad sectors. Could a faulty power supply cause this? I don't know how to find out how many Watts the power supply produces, but I looked on it and it says MAX WATTAGE: 400W, so I guess that the max but I don't know how much it actually produces. All I have in my computer is a floppy drive, CD rom, sound card, GE force 3 64 MB video card, and the HD.

Thanks,
Appreciate any help
 
Lorand

Lorand

<b>VIP Member</b>
Have you tested the memory? Bad RAM could mess up pretty bad the hdd's filesystem, and such a hard disk can act as a faulty one. When it happened to me in the end the hdd was so messed up that no OS recognized it... only a low level format saved the hdd.
 
P

Panda

New Member
I tried using memtest, but it's so confusing for me. I don't have linux and I made the disk that it wanted me to make, but after that I don't know what to do.
 
P

Panda

New Member
Alright, I'm not really sure how it works but I booted from the floppy and left it running for half an hour. It seemed to go through a loop and just do the tests it did before, it passed this cycle two times without any errors. Does that mean the RAM's good?
 
jancz3rt

jancz3rt

<b>VIP Member</b>
Memtest

Memtest can take several hours to comlete. Let it run when you leave the house for example. If nothing wrong is found with the ram module, it's almost certainly fine.

JAN :D
 
Praetor

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
I am pretty sure that there is something wrong with my computer because two faulty WD hard drives in a row would be a really wierd coincidence
Click to expand...
Not really if the drives are making audiable clicking noises

And believe it or not, the problem was a faulty RAM module
Click to expand...
Yes thats quite possible (data corruption and all) ... but clicking?

Would the power supply or the ram make the hard drive click?
Click to expand...
Unlikely.

A hard drive not getting enough power sounds just like a hard drive with a crashed head
Click to expand...
Technically you are completely correct but if you consider it: a harddrive thats getting power so unstable that the drive heads are constantly up and down and making noises (especially so consistanty) means that the rest of the computer is getting crap all for power

Could a faulty power supply cause this? I don't know how to find out how many Watts the power supply produces, but I looked on it and it says MAX WATTAGE: 400W, so I guess that the max but I don't know how much it actually produces.
Click to expand...
You dont have to worry about the amount of power it 'produces' that's plenty fine. What you might be interested in however is the stability and quality of the PSU. One quick way you can check is in BIOS, goto the place where you can monitor the voltages for stuff. Have a look at your 12V rails ... are they stable and stuff?
 
P

Panda

New Member
Nope they fluctuate a little bit, but how much fluctiuation is "unstable"?

I think the problem is either the IDE bus or the power supply and since a power supply is cheaper than a new motherboard, I bought this power supply to see if it will fix the problem: http://www.newegg.com/app/ViewProductDesc.asp?description=17-159-023&depa=1
If not, I might have to get a new motherboard, but first I will send the HD I have back to WD.

The thing that really makes me not think that it's a HD problem is that the HD works fine for a bit but after a while it gets damaged, then I put it in my brother's computer, run a disk check, and voila! it's just as good as new. I have a feeling that if it stayed in brother's computer it would be fine and not get bad sectors every two weeks.

I also think that it's probably the PS because a bad IDE bus would cause instantaneous damage or would not make the HD work at all and would not cause damage to the HD after two weeks of working fine (or would it?). I think that a bad PS that gives bad power can gradualy cause bad sectors after using it for a bit.

I really don't know much about computers at all, so I would appreciate any opinions/advice you have.

Thanks!
 
Praetor

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
Nope they fluctuate a little bit, but how much fluctiuation is "unstable"?
Click to expand...
Its not the rate of fluctuation but the magnitude. For instance: 11.56, 11.67,11.77,11.54 etc is ok but something like 11,11,11,11 etc is bad.

That PSU you've got there is decent but you might wanna look into one with a bit more efficiency (65% full load isnt so great)

I also think that it's probably the PS because a bad IDE bus would cause instantaneous damage or would not make the HD work at all and would not cause damage to the HD after two weeks of working fine (or would it?).
Click to expand...
Most likely but anything is possible
 
P

Panda

New Member
well the 12 rail was going between 12.41 and 12.48, the 5 was going between 4.41 and 4.58, the 3.3 was between 3.12 and 3.13. Does that mean my power supply's fine?
 
Praetor

Praetor

Administrator
Staff member
i dont often encounter systems where the actual 12V rail is higher than spec'd, that's odd but i dont think the 12V rail is a problem
Your 12V: 3.4% - 4% variance
Your 5V: 8.4% - 11.8% variance
Your 3.3V: 3.6% - 4.3% variance

I think the 5V rail is a bit too off?
 
P

Panda

New Member
Hmm, I think I just understood your post right now. I think that with the fluctuations I posted, the 5v rail one is the worst one because it fluctuates at about 90% of the actual voltage. Do you think that might be why I would get bad sectors on the HD after using it for a while, or that's not a good enough reason to cause bad sectors?

Thanks.
 
P

Panda

New Member
I also forgot to say:
I tried having speedfan run in the background while I play counter strike and the voltages drop a bit. The 5 v rail goes down to 4.38 and fluctuates at about 3.38 and 4.41 and the 3 v rail goes down a bit too. the 12 V rail stays like it is mostly. I don't think speedfan is very unreliable because it gives about the same voltages I see in the bios.

Edit: the 5 v rail fluctuates between 4.38 and 4.41 not 3.38 and 4.41. Sorry about that.
 
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